Manchester triples number of books in FunFest giveaway

Manchester University is giving away 3,000 books to children and adults in downtown North Manchester on Friday, triple the number it gave away at last year’s FunFest by the River.

This year’s giveaway begins at 4 p.m. Friday. No books will be available on Thursday or Saturday of the festival.

“Last year, they all went in one night,” said Carole Miller-Patrick, director of Manchester University’s Center for Service Opportunities. “Our goal is very simple: to increase literacy.”

The books, provided through a literacy partnership with Better World Books, span all reading levels. They will all be given away free at the Manchester University booth on Market Street.

“These are books for children and adults in our community. They may take one or several. For many children these will be their very first books to own all by themselves,” Miller-Patrick said.

Over the past year, Manchester University employees, students and neighbors have deposited thousands of books in a Better World Books bin behind the Administration Building on College Avenue in North Manchester.

Better World collects and ships the books to communities around the world. It also sells them at extremely reduced prices in its Mishawaka, Ind., outlet store and recycles unusable or damaged books. Learn more about Better World Books at betterworldbooks.com.

Manchester University, with campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, offers more than 60 areas of academic study to 1,400 students in undergraduate programs, a Master of Athletic Training and a four-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy. Learn more about the private, northern Indiana school at www.manchester.edu.